This invention relates to a hand-propelled chariot or vehicle, which is particularly useful for paraplegics and especially crippled children.
In the past, the most usual vehicle or means of transportation for paraplegics has been the conventional wheelchair. The conventional wheelchair is a four wheel vehicle having relatively large rear wheels and smaller front wheels. The front wheels are usually pivotally mounted, and may in fact be castors, so that the wheelchair can be turned or steered by independent rotation of the larger rear wheels. Typically, the larger rear wheels are turned by manual manipulation, and for this purpose, an outer concentric rim is sometimes mounted on the wheel and this is turned by hand to drive the vehicle.
A different type of self-propelled wheelchair is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,600,131, issued Sept. 14, 1926 to C. B. Overton. Although this patent is concerned with making the wheelchair foldable, the patent does show chain and sprocket drive mechanisms for each rear wheel.
A difficulty with the wheelchair-type vehicles, however, is that they tend to be unstable and can tip over backwards. Further, it is difficult for a crippled person to get into or out of the wheelchair, because the seat is too high and there are usually foot rests that get in the way. This is particularly a problem for crippled children. In fact, crippled children often cannot get into or out of existing wheelchairs without assistance.